528 Messrs. E. L. & E. L. C. Layard on the 



tree in favovir for the time, he may be sure, if he remains 

 concealed near it, that he will see on it most of the Pigeons 

 in the neighbourhood. 



They breed from August to November ; and their nests are 

 platforms of sticks placed on horizontal branches ; and the 

 eggs, two in number, are white. 



In living specimens the bill is very dark green, the feet 

 and legs dark carmine. The iris varies with age, but may be 

 described as crimson. The male exceeds the female in size, 

 and in youth resembles her. Dissection of the gizzard shows 

 that this Dove belongs to the genus Ptilopus as defined by 

 Professor Garrod (P.Z. S. 1874, p. 249). 



50. Ianth(enas hypcenochroa, Gould. 



This Pigeon is also found, not uncommonly, in all the 

 forest region, where it is much shot by the hunters and sold 

 in the market as ^''gibier;" in fact, this and. the next species, 

 the " Notu,'^ are the game of the country, and are very good 

 eating, though they aiford little sport, " pot shots '' oflp trees 

 being the only means of shooting them. They feed on berries, 

 and become extremly fat and objectionable to skin ; they 

 also eat leaves. 



Our. friends the Messieurs Boyer make a most singular 

 statement respecting the nidification of these birds, averring 

 that they nest on the ground at the foot of trees. The eggs 

 are white, exactly resembling those of the domestic bird ; and 

 they several times tried to rear young from them by placing 

 them in the nests in the dovecote, but without effect. Having 

 abundantly proved the truth of accounts given by these 

 gentlemen of the habits of other birds, we see no reason to 

 doubt this story, strange though it may seem, and though we 

 ourselves have never seen the bird on the ground. Axis of 

 egg 1" 6'", diam. 14'". 



The average length of this fine Pigeon is 1 7" 6'", wing 

 9" 6'", tail 7", tarse 1" 2'". Bill, in life, pink, with grey-buff 

 tip ; eyelid, legs, and feet pink ; claws drab ; iris raw sienna. 



51 . Carpophaga jENea, G. R. Gray. 



This is a rare visitant to the south of the island ; what it 

 may be in the north we know not. We suspect, when it does 



